One part of coming home that I forgot to put in my last posting was my arrival in Baltimore and being greeted not only by my beautiful sister and nieces, but a whole welcoming committee from the USO at Baltimore. Before I left of Afghanistan, I always felt a little guilty when random people would thank me for my service after they found out I was in the Air Force. Going through the line of the welcoming committee and shaking hands with all there made me feel like I really had done something finally. Granted many more have sacrificed a whole lot more than I did while I was there, but now I've experienced the war zone to some extent, walked in the blowing dust with my teeth crunching on the dust that got through, carried my M9 around with my like it was my cell phone and have woken suddenly in the middle of the night from rockets or mortars dropping (usually relatively in the distance) and now have some right to be called a veteran.
My arrival into N.KY was not a military greeting, but it certainly was a great reunion with my parents, aunt, sister and nephews. (I love being Aunt Sally). Balloons and signs. Dad even posted a big sign in our front yard welcoming home Doctor Sally (which they called me in Afghanistan). So many people at our church festival the next evening knew I had just returned and greeted me a warm welcome home. I wasn't used to all the attention, but after a couple of beers at the festival I was quite comfortable chatting about the last 6 months. I did see a lot while I was there and have several specific stories to tell, but thinking about the whole experience is more of a feeling than a memory - good and bad. It is a bit difficult to convey in words and not every story is something I want to share, but I have no problem saying it was - well not a life changing experience, but a life learning experience.
Looks like we might actually be boarding soon so I better get off my computer and start listening to any new announcements. More to come later.
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